A dramatic increase in gear requirements in the age of Industry 4.0 – it's an interplay of forces presenting more than just one huge challenge for the gear industry today. The fourth edition of GEARS inline highlights ways in which the gear industry can address the many tasks it faces.
The fourth industrial revolution – there is currently much talk about it, but how can it be made tangible and implemented on a technical level in the gear industry? The answer to this question lies in the realization of cyber-physical production systems in connection with closed-loop systems, as well as in the development of open information systems for efficient and economical process control. In the future, production systems will have to optimize themselves in order to improve quality and boost productivity. In 40 pages, the fourth edition of GEARS inline highlights Klingelnberg’s systematic efforts to promote the Industry 4.0 mindset in modern gear manufacturing: from closed-loop concepts implemented for the first time in the area of cylindrical gears, to the development of a powerful information technology infrastructure called GearEngine, through to the integration of an identification and management solution for tools known as SmartTooling.
The current issue also makes it clear that digitization alone is not the key to success, however: To meet the constantly growing requirements for gear components resulting from the development of new, diverse drive concepts, innovations are needed – in gear technologies, in control technology and in mechanical engineering. At Klingelnberg, every recent development is aimed at achieving one overarching goal: to create tremendous flexibility based on the largest possible functional bandwidth. The new Oerlikon C 30 bevel gear cutting machine, for example, is truly impressive due to its greatly expanded application range. In addition to high-performance processes for bevel gears (face milling, face hobbing and the hypoflex method for straight bevel gears), this machine also has powerskiving capability for cylindrical gears with internal and external toothing.
Flexibility and functional bandwidth are likewise hallmarks of new TM 65: From the rod to the finished component, one machine is all that’s needed for complete machining of toothed gears. For bevel gear production, it combines the production steps of turning, milling, boring, slotting and gear cutting; for cylindrical gears, it offers two production technologies, powerskiving and hobbing.
A real highlight is our new Speed Viper generation grinding machine, which Jan Klingelnberg himself presents in this issue. One of the first machines to feature the new Klingelnberg design, it raises large-scale production of cylindrical gears to a new level in terms of efficiency and quality.
The P 65 precision measuring center, also featuring the new design, now has further improved ergonomics and ease of operation as well as technical properties. Klingelnberg’s P series has also gained a new family member: With the P 16 G, gauges on the shop floor will soon be a thing of the past. There’s no comparison, in fact, between the flexibility of this measuring device and that of a gauge, as this machine allows any number of different components to be tested – in this development, an integrative approach was also a defining factor.
At Klingelnberg, technological innovations and improvements go hand in hand with integration into the digital world of Industry 4.0 – but don’t just take our word for it! Read the latest issue of GEARS inline, now available for order from the Marketing department at Klingelnberg. Send us an e-mail at: marketing@klingelnberg.com, mentioning GEARS inline in the subject line. We hope you enjoy reading the new issue!